Much of the architecture in Rome is Baroque, born out of the Catholic Church’s determination to reassert itself after the Reformation and The Basilica di San Pietro is no different. We were there by 7.30 and walked through security and straight inside. It is huge, but felt somewhat impersonal.
We admired Michelangelo’s Pieta from afar as there is a barrier to protect it …
… and admired the ceiling from below.
We took the lift then steps, stopping to walk round inside the dome where even the letters are 2m high …
… then between the layers of the dome to the top, with that view out over the Piazza San Pietro, designed by Bernini, which welcomes visitors with open arms.
Back to earth, we walked out across the piazza, stopping at a circular stone in the pavement which marks the focal points of an ellipse, from which the four rows of columns on the perimeter line up perfectly so the colonnade appears to be supported by a single line of columns. Clever stuff!
We were amazed how the queue had grown, and it was only 9am!
After breakfast we set off to the historical centre, passing the Trevi fountain which was undergoing its weekly clean and empty, carefully supervised by the police as some €20,000 is raked out each week and sent to local charities.
We picked up rolls for lunch at the nearby Antico Forno bakery …
… and continued to Piazza Venezia which is overpowered by the gigantic Vittoriano or Victor Emanuelle Memorial errected to celebrate Italian Unification.
The Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, one of the city’s finest Rococo palaces and still lived in by the family is our next stop. Jonathan Pamphilj himself led us round the sumptuous state rooms and extensive art gallery via the audio guide, pointing out the sparkly Gallery of Mirrors with tales of Hercules on the ceiling and decorated with grotesque work.
Then, towards the end, I saw a Caravaggio I liked. The Rest on the Flight into Egypt has no blood or moody lighting, instead an angel playing violin to soothe the baby to sleep!
Next up, a trip back in time beneath the government offices of Palazzo Valentini to visit Domus Romaine, ruins of Roman baths and a residential complex brought vividly to life by a high tec and dramatic guided tour. Afterwards, there was a virtual reconstruction of Trajans Column. This 30m column was built to celebrate the empires victories in Dacia (modern Romania) in 113AD.
It is covered in reliefs commemorating the campaign, with some 2590 figures carved on a series of marble drums. The detail of the soldiers in their armour going off to war in their boats, blessed by Neptune is amazing considering its age.
Moving on to Piazza della Minerva we took photos of the cute elephant statue by Bernini …
…then went to the roof bar of the Minerva Hotel as we were given a tip that there was a good view of the Pantheon … and there was.
The Pantheon was built by Hadrian in 125AD, and consecrated as a Christian church in 609AD. It is an engineering marvel, with the diameter equalling its height and the oculus 8.7m across and remains the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. It would have been richly decorated in its heyday and the niches filled with statues if the gods.
Just round the corner is Piazza Navona, Rome’s most famous square, with bars, buskers and lots of tourists and we found a nice little spot to watch the world go by.
Revived, we went and looked at Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or fountain of the four rivers by Bernini, with figures representing the great rivers of the world – the Nile, Danube, Ganges and Plate and topped by yet another obelisk.
We returned to Cantina 26 for dinner and had another great meal – more pasta and aubergine patties with lemon sauce for Chris and Saltinbocca, a Roman speciality for me.
Off Travelling Together 